Earth drill



H. S. BROWN EARTH DRILL Nov. 12, 1946.

Original Filed Sept. 12, 1941 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 fi? 4S, xi A/ A\ @vB/Qx@ BY m95- i AWORNEYS.

H. s. BROWN Nov. 12, 1946.

EARTH DRILL original Filed sept. 12, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENTOR./aQ/z `5. Brow/7 ATTORNEYS.

EARTH DRILL '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. l2, 1946.

Original Filed Sept. l2,

.5 @d l 77 Z9 74 INVENTOR /y/f 5. Erow/z 772e' ',M/ @o7/vvv. y@

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. l2, 1946.

H. S. BROWN EARTH DRILL` riginal Filed sept.- 12, 1941 Y Sheets-Sheet .5

E ATTORNEYS.

Ov. 12, 1946. v H, s, BROWN EARTH DRILL original Filed sept. 1'2, 1941'7 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEY 5.

1NvENToR a /2 5. Show/2 /-m D @7L /7 BYZI: I

H. S. BROWN Nov. l2, .1946.

EARTH DRILL Original Filed Sept. 12, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Alli'RESERVOIR A 1 r2 RESERVIR INVENTOR. ly/5 5. BP01/Wz- ATTORNEYS.

Palented Nov. 12, ieee ariosto UNITED STATES YPATENT oFFlcE EARTH DRILLHugh S. Brown, Wauwatosa, Wis.

Continuation of application Serial No. 410,623, September 12, 1941. Thisapplication December 13, 1943, Serial No. 514,080

(Cl. Z55-22) Claims.

The present inventor has devoted a great deal of energy and thought tothe improvement of earth drills. He has led numerous appli@- tions,including Patent No. 2,255,241, relating to a construction permittingportability and permitting drilling at a 45 angle; and Patent No.2,329,388, relating to an improved auger .designed to have all theadvantages of past .angers While permitting reverse turning in the holein case a single operation of the drill is continued until so muchloosened dirt is above the drill that it cannot be pulled out.

The present invention, while utilizing some aspects of the previousinventions, provides stili further improvements. 'I'he ability to drillat a 45 angle is retained, as is the ability to tilt the drill rig to anearly horizontal position for portability. Considerably greaterover-all speed, flexibility and ease of operation are provided byinclusion of a plurality of novel features. Pneumatic means is providedfor raising the auger from the hole with the loosened dirt thereon. Thesame pneumatic cylinder may, if desired, be used for lifting a pole tobe dropped into the hole. Additional pneumatic `means operating withmore force and at slower speed may be used when required for driving theauger down during drilling, or for boosting the auger upwardly if thenormal high-speed raising means does not have adequate force. Thepneumatic feed unit is so arranged that, although it is normallyinoperative, it may be brought into operative relationship simply bymanual movement of the control valve and without any slamming togetherof parts which would be destructive to the life of the equipment.

The housing and rigging is considerably simplified, the upper end of thespindle being guided by a simple slotted tube, the drill casing pivotingabout a horizontal axis which is also the axis of the drive shaft, andthe entire casing pivoting about a perpendicular horizontal axis whichis also the axis of the` universal joint in the drive shaft, whichpermits driving the drill in spite of angular movement of the housmg.

Additional advantages and objects of thel present invention will beapparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the apparatus of this invention mounted ona truck;

Fig. 2 is an end view as seen from the left in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical, sectional view, taken approximately onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical, sectional view Vof the structure seenin Fig. 2, taken approximately on the line 4 4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View corresponding to Fig. 5, but taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 'I'I of Fig. 4;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are corresponding views taken approximately on theline 8 8, 9 9 and Ill-I0 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 vis a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately on the lineI I I I of Fig. 9;

Fig. l2 `is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the lineI2 l2 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the lineI3 I3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately on the lineM M of Fig. 13

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic representation of the pneumatic hoisting andfeeding system; and

Fig. 1.6 is a diagrammatic representation of a modified form of feedcontrol.

Although Athe invention has been shown in detail in accordance with R..S. 4888, it will be understood that additional forms of the invention,and additional ways of using some aspects of the invention, will bediscovered by those skilled in the art, and the claims are to beinterpreted as broadly as permitted by the prior art.

Since one of the important features of the invention is readyportability, it is fitting that the entire apparatus be carried byatruck II, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Of course, means can -be providedfor utilizing the truck motor as a source of power, but it has beenfound more satisfactory to use a separate .motor I2. According to thepresent invention the motor I2 is preferably connected to the drillingapparatus through a fluid drive unity I3, a manually controlled frictionclutch unit I4, and a transmission I5 which need merely vbe slidablebetween theV forward and reverse drives. 'I'he provision of the fluiddrive unit i3 is considered an important feature of the invention, sinceit, together with the fluid feed and hoisting features of the invention,make the apparatus almost fool-proof. It is impossible `to stall oroverload the motor I2 by improper manipulation .of the drill unitcontrols.

lMounting of the drill head 3 trated in Fig. 1and furthermore permitsfolding the entire drill rig to the nearly horizontal position shown indotted lines at A in Fig. 1 for transporting the drill unit from oneother.

The casing estals 2I by means of stub shafts 22, which may be secured toeither the casing I9 or the pedestal 2|, and journaled in the other.'The pivotal -axis of the stub shafts 22 preferably coincides with thepivotal axis of the universal joint 23, the position of which isdetermined by shaft 24 carried by extension 26 of the drill head I3. Byhaving the pivotal axis of the shaft 22, which is also the pivotal axisof the housing I9, coincide with the pivotal axis of lthe universaljoints 23, there will be substantially no change in the position of thedrive shaft 21 as the housing I9 pivots, With this arrangement it ispossible to pivot the drill rig to its collapsed position, indicated atA in Fig. 1, without uncoupling the universal joint 23, or any part ofthe driving mechanism.

The drive shaft 21 is preferably of the conventional .telescoping type,and is preferably provided with a second telescoping unit 2S merely forthe purpose of avoid-ing any trouble with original misalinement of partsor from slight discrepancies between the positions of the axis of shafts22 and the position of the axis of the universal joints 23. A worm gearsegment 29 is rigidly secured to housing I9, and is driven by a Worm 3Imounted on the truck frame, which in turn is driven by a manuallever 32which preferably operates through a ratchet 33. Counterbalancing meansmay be provided for the drill rig, if necessary, but the structureherein contemplated is believed to be light enough so that for ordinaryheights counterweighting will not be necessary.

Spaced bearings It will be observed from Fig. 3 lthat the drill head I8projects from the housing I9, and that the entire weight of the drillrig exerts a torque about any fulcrum point in the housing I9. Accordingto Ithe present invention this torque is rendered harmless by providingsubstantially spaced bearings 36 and 31 of external cylindrical contouron the drill head extension 26, and corresponding bearings 38 and 39 ofinternal cylindrical contour on the housing I9, disposed to smoothlyengage the bearings 36 and 38. The bearing 31 is smaller in diameterthan the bearing 3B, and therefore may easily be telescoped into thehousing I9 until the bearing 36 seats against the bearing flange 4I. Thedrill head extension 2B is then held in this position by a retainingring 42, which may be secured to the extension 26 by bolts and which hasa bearing engagement with the end of bearing 39.

It will be observed that the weight of the drill rig is borne entirelyby the substantial cylindrical bearings 35 and 38, and the reaction isborne entirely by the cylindrical bearings 31` and 39, which are alsofairly substantial although not as large in areas as the bearings 36 and38. The bearings are spaced apart far enough longitudinally of the shaft24 so that the torque of the drill rig about the bearings 36 and 38 maybe taken up entirely by the bearings 31 and 39 without having .to relyon any end bearings. This assures smooth action of the drill head I8 inthe housing I9. The drill head I8 is actuated about its pivotal axis bya worm segment 44, which is rigidly secured to the drill head I8 or itsextension 26, and is in turn actuated by a Worm 46 which is operatedlocation to an- I9 may be suspended from the'pedbushings 54 to make theA fast on shaft 24.

for the drill vhead with- Yf the spindle.

4 by a handle 41, Fig. 2, preferably acting through a ratchet mechanism48.

Spindle drive The drilling auger 5I is carried by a square spindle 52,which is vertically slidable in sleeve 53. The sleeve 53 may be a squaresleeve closely fitting the spindle 52, or it may more desirably beslightly oversize with respect to .the spindle 52 and provided withreplaceable bushings 54 which snugly fit the spindle 52. Dirt and sandgetting on the spindle 52 cause a great deal of wear, and it is highlydesirable to be able to replace the bushings 54 readily. It will beobserved from Fig. 3 .that they are both removable Without dismantlingof the drill head I8. They are preferably made of bronze. For ease ofoperation of the spindle and for reducing wear on the spindle, they maybe secured in place by bolts screwing into the sleeve 53. The use of thebronze bushing permits forming the sleeve 53 from steel by casting. Ofcourse, the sleeve can be square, or it can be cylindrical, relying onthe securing bolts for the bushings fast to the sleeve for transmittingthe driving force to the spindle.

The sleeve 53 is preferably mounted in the head I8 by means of rollerbearing units 56. These units may be of conventional form and should, ofof course, provide for end .thrust as Well as rotation.

The sleeve 53 has connected thereto a bevel gear 58 which meshes with abevel pinion 59 The spindle 52 is thus driven by the motor I2 throughhydraulic drive unit I3, friction clutch unit I4, transmission I5, driveshaft 21 with its universal joint, drive shaft 24, pinion 59, gear 58,sleeve 53, and bushings 54.

The assembly of spindle 52, bushings 54, sleeve 53, gear 58, andbearings 56 may be easily inserted in the drill head I8 either byremoving the end shell 6I of the drill head, which may be removed byremoving bolts B2, Fig. 13, or by lowering the assembly into the drillhead, the assembly being then held in place therein by retaining plateB3 and bolt 64, seen in Fig. 3.

Spindle guide With a long drill spindle 52 it is important to guide theupper end of the shaft so that as the spindle rotates the free end willnot gyrate. This is particularly important for drilling at aninclination as illustrated in Fig. 2, where the weight of the longspindle would cause high initial flexing. According to the presentinvention this guiding of the upper end of the spindle is accomplishedby an extremely simple, inexpensive and light weight structure, namely,a slotted tube. This slotted tube may be welded to a slotted collar 61,which in turn is secured to the drill head I8 by the bolts 64. The slot65 in the tube 66 is best seen in any of Figs. 8 to 10 in connectionwith special reference to yoke B9. The yoke 69 is provided for raisingand lowering the spindle 52, and is therefore provided with ears 1Iextending through the 'slot 65 for engagement with a chain 12, to whichit is secured by one of the elon- I connect two links of the chain,slightly longer than the other such pins. 'The ears 1I must extendthrough the slots 65 as the spindle is raised and lowered, and hence theslot must be at least as long as the stroke The yoke 69 is preferablypositioned longitudinally of the spindle 52 by means of roller bearingunits 14, seen best in Fig. 3.

gated pins serving to andere in, assembly. the 'one-piece yoke 5.9,together with the bearing unit 1i and a thrustv plate 16, if desired,may be telescoped over the upper reduced end of the spindle 52 andsecuredv in place by a split retaining plate 11, the two halves of.which may be secured together by bolts 18.

The split retaining plate 11 is clamped by the Raising mechanism Theauger and spindle will drop into the partially dug hole by gravity, andin soft soil may feed themselves by gravity even during the drillin goperation. It is necessary, however, to provide power mechanism forraising the spindle, the, auger, and the dirt which has been dug andpassed through'the auger and rests onthe top thereof. An ideal source ofpower for this operation is a pneumatic cylinder. This permits greatease of control, involves. no clutches to. wear out, and makes. possiblea very smooth operation, even at fairly high speeds. However, since thedrill` of this invention might be designed to drill holes of, say, 30feet depth, a pneumatic cylinder 30 feet longV for raising thel spindlethe 30 feet necessary to lift the auger from the bottom of the rholewould be undesirable. According to the present invention a simplearrangement is provided whereby the cylinder can be only a fractionofthe length of the lift required.

ln the illustrated form, the hoisting cylinder 8| is carried rigidly bythe slotted tube 06 and base casting 61, and is provided with a, piston8-2 (the number beingapplied to the piston rod when the piston isconcealed), having about onethird` the spindle stroke for which theapparatus is designed. Carried by the piston rod 82, and

actuated thereby in opposite directions, is a rack bar 83, which, assee-n best in Fig. 1, runs between an idler guide pulley 8d and a pinion86 which meshes with the teeth of the rack. The pinion 8.5. is fast onshaft 81, which is journaled, preferably by ball bearings, in brackets8,8 rigidly secured to an intermediate portion of the slotted tube 80 orflange |08 thereon.v The outer portion of the bracket 88' may be securedto the inner portion, with a connecting part between the two portionscomprising a shaft for Vthe pulley 8 4. y Suitable retaining or endthrust means shouldxbe provided for the shaft 81, although therewill notordinarily be any severe end thrust applied to the shaft. `V

' Sprocket 88 is carried by the shaft 81 and runs freely thereonv exceptwhen locked thereto by a sliding clutch which Will'normally be left inengagement at all times. As seen best in Fig. 4, the. chain 12 extendspartially around sprocket 89, being guided therearound by an idlersprocket 9,2 and` extending from sprocket 8S over and around top idlersprocket 83. From the top sprocket 9,3 the chain 12 extends alongside ofthe slot E in tube 86 to. and around bottom idler sprocket 0d, beingsecured tothe yoke 69 between the top and bottom sprockets in the mannerpreviously described. From, the, sprocket SAthe chain extends in contactwith a feed sprocketi` which is normallyl free to rotate, and

6 back to the point of the chain first described at sprocket 92, thusforming an endlesschain. 1 i

.From the foregoing it is seen that as the piston 82 and rack bar 83 areraised, they rotate the pinion 86 and sprocket 89, whichl in turn drivesthe chain 12 so as to raise the yoke, 69 and with it `the spindle andauger. It will be observed from Fig. 7 thatl the pitch radius of pinion80 is only about a third of that of sprocket 89, and. hence the chain i2Will be driven about three( times the length of movement of therack bar83 and three times the stroke ofthe piston 82 and cylinder 8|. The exactdimensions of the parts will, of course, be such that the spindle can beraised from its lowermost position to its uppermost position with thelength of stroke of piston 82 that is available. l

. Not only does this arrangement permit the use .of a cylinderBI, whichis only one-third the length of the spindle stroke, but it also producesa fasterk movement of the spindle, the spindle being raised atapproximately three timesthe speed of the piston 82.

Power feed i, The force` of gravity'is not always enough to feed theauger with sufficient force to cause it to bite into the earth asrapidly as desirable. When additional feeding'forcey is necessary it ispossible to app-1y somefeeding force with twodirection cylinder 8|. Indigging into harder shale, however, this still is not enough.Furthermorethe controls could be such that cylinder 8| Would exert nofeedingforca the feeding ordinarily depending entirely upon gravity,`thus saving compressed air. n l

` According to the present invention a feed cylinder is provided whichis also rigidly mounted on slotted tubes 60, as seen best in Fig; 5. Thediggingportionfof the downward stroke of the spindle is quite sho-rt,since it is desirable to raise the dirt Iafter a few inches have beendug. Accordingly, the 'feed lcylinder lill may also be short', and itmay nevertheless be connected to the chain to drive 'the chain in directdrive or in 1 to 1 ratio, Of course, the piston |02, or the piston rodto which the'number is also app-lied, ofthe cylinder |0| could beprovided with some sort of ratchetting dog engagingthe chain. It ispreferred, however, that the means engagingthe chain be kep-t constantlyin engagementA therewith so as to Iavoid the Wear from pounding partstogether. In the illustrated form of invention this is yaccomplished bythe use of sprocket 96, which is constantly in mesh with chain 12. Thesprocket 96. is fast on a sha-ft |03, which is journaled in the feedhead. The feed head |04 is raised and lowered by piston |02, and isguided by `plates |06 which coact with a guideway formed in flangedbracket |01 secured to slotted tubes 66, or more accurately, to flange|08 welded thereto and Vtobase casting 6,1.

Shaft |03 vcarries fast on its ends remote from th sprocket 86. a brakedrum |09. This brake drum is normally free to rotate, and hence thesprocket 96 is normally free to rotate, and the actuation of the chain12, by hoisting cylinder 8| or by gravity acting on the spindle 62, isunaffected by the sprocket 96. However, when it is desired to apply anextra feeding force'to the chain, air is supplied toa diaphragm type ofactuator which actuates-a rod ||2, seen best in Fig.y l1, to operatebrake cam level` ||3, and apply the brake to drum |09. The brake may beany conventional expansion type o-f brake, and,

of course, an external brake could be used. This prevents furtherrotation `of shaft |03 with the result Ithat as feed head |04 is raisedby piston |02 the now rigid sprocket 96 holds the chain rigidlyconnected to the feed head |04, so that as the feed head moves the chainis driven. To prevent the chain from possibly slipping off the sprocketa slide block ||4is positioned near the far side of the chain, beingcarried by a bracket from the nearby rigid structure. Air can beadmitted to the actuator simultaneously with or slightly before itsadmission to the intermediate cylinder At the end of the feeding strokeair is released from the actuator with the result that the brake isreleased by any suitable spring, not shown, and the sprocket 96 is freeto rotate. This permits immediate raising of the auger and spindle byoperation of hoisting cylinder 8|. At the same time the feed cylinder|0| may be operated through its return stroke so as to return the feedhead to its starting position.

Chain tightener It is, of course, desirable that there be substantiallyno slack in the chain 12, since it is sometimes actuated in onedirection and sometimes in the other. A very simple but satisfactorychain tightening arrangement is shown in Figs. and 12. The bottomsprocket S4 slides between slotted plates |'6, fitting smoothlytherewith at all points so as to be free to rotate.v The plates ||6 maybe secured to the anges |08 on tube 66, or may comprise a part ofcasting 61 to which the tube 66 is secured. The vertical position ofsprocket 94 is determined by shaft '||1,`which in turn may be urgeddownwardly by screws ||8 until the proper tension is applied to thechain 12. It is only necessary that the slot |9 in which shaft |`|1operates be long enough to provide a stroke for the shaft ||1, slightlylonger than half the length of a link in chain 12, since any greatervariations may be accommodated by the removal of a link. The shaft ||1may be restrained against endvvise movement by reduced extension of the`screws ||8 extending into corresponding apertures in the shaf-t ||1.

Winch One of the most common reasons for drilling a hole is the groundis to place va pole therein. For this purpose it is convenient to havesome means for raising the pole and lowering it into the hole. Accordingto the present invention this means is furnished at negligibleadditional eX- pense by providing a winch drum on shaft 81 carried bythe bracket 88. The winch drum is normally free to rotate on'shaft 81but is locked with respect to said shaft, when desired, by manualoperation of the clutch 9|. Any suitable means may be provided foroperating the clutch 9| Afrom the ground, such as the bell crank lever|22, the upper end of which forms a forked yoke |23 engaging an annulargroove in the clutch member 9|, link |24 and Fig. 5 operating handle|26, which may be locked to hold the clutch in either engaged positionor in neutral position. A cable will ordinarily be wound on drum |2| andhooked to a lower part of the equipment so as to be accessible'. When itis desirable to raise a pole, the cable will be drawn out and fastenedaround the pole, after which the clutch 9| will be shifted ,to thewinch-operating position. Thereafter air will be ladmitted to hoistingcylinder 8|, which will raise rack bar 8,3. turn sprock- 8 et 86, shaft81, and winch drum |2|. Since the same operation of clutch 9|, whichengages the winch to the shaft, disengages the sprocket 89 from theshaft, the sprocket 89 will not be driven.

Any suitable means may be provided for holding sprocket 89 (or drum |2|)stationary when clutch 9| is disengaged therefrom. After the pole hasbeen raised the cylinder 8| may be controlled to lower the pole into thehole.

The cable preferably passes around a sheave |21 at the top of tube 66,so as to get the benefit of the maximum height available.

The means for holding the sprocket 89 stationary may comprise a dogcarried by the rigid structure and engageable with chain 12 at anyconvenient point.

Although the shaft 81 has been illustrated as supported by two spacedparts of bracket 88, but projecting therefrom, this should be recognizedas somewhat diagrammatic. In any event a bracket could be secured to thetube 66 or ange |08 for supporting the shaft 81 at the end thereofopposite the end on which pinion 86 is mounted.

Control of drill The rotational driving of the spindle can ordinarily becontrolled entirely by the throttle. When desired, however, as ifnecessary to shift gears, the friction clutch I4 may be disengaged.

Of course, it will not ordinarily be necessary to shift gears. The chiefoccasion for reversing the rotation of the auger is in the event thatthe auger is drilled too deeply into the ground on one bite, so that theloose dirt above the auger jams and prevents hoisting the auger. In thisconnection it may be noted that the auger is preferably that shown in myUnited States Patent No. 2,329,388issued September 14, 1943.

One form of control over the various cylinders is illustrated in Fig.15. The air reservoir, indicated diagrammatically at |3|, may besupplied with compressed air by compressor |32, indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 1, and preferably driven by motor l2. From theair reservoir |3| supply conduit |33 and |34 carry compressed air to thetwo separate cylinder systems.

Control of primary cylinder The primary or hoisting cylinder 8| iscontrolled by a two-positioned four-way valve |36, operated by handle|31. Normally this valve is in the position shown, and air is fed to thecylnder 8| near its bottom by conduit |38.

The valve |36 also connects conduit |39 leading from near the top of thecylinder to a vent |40. In this manner the piston |4| is held at the topof the cylinder. For lowering the piston the handle |31 is pulled downabout 90. The first effect of this is to feed compressed air from theconduit |33 to conduit |39 and the upper end of cylinder 8|. This effectis obtained before other effects by the positioning of the re1- ativepositions of the Xed ports of valve |36 and the passages in its controlmember. Diagrammatically this is illustrated by enlargements |43 at theends of the passage |44. It will be noted that the slot |46 does nothave such enlargements. Supplying air to the conduit |39 will notordinarily have any effect, because the differential sizes of the upperand lower faces of the piston head |4| will result in a force sufficientto hold the piston up.

As the handle |31 is turned slightly further, however, the passage |46will begin to connect the conduit |38withthevent |41), thus releasingair-from the cylinder 8|"blow the pistonhead |4|. VSpeed ofloweringthepiston head 14| will be determined by the exact positioningofsvalve |31 and the consequent speed of release of air from below thepiston. .It may be limited by pipe `size or a separate'adjustable Valveto a predetermined maximum speed. The lowering of the piston in thismanner will cause a lowering of the auger 5|' into the hole, and, ifdesired', willY apply a feedingV force to the auger as the motor. isspeeded up to turn the auger for drilling. The feeding force may beincreased by drawing more air from below piston head IM, as by aninjector.

To raise the auger 5| it is, of course, necessary to raise the pistonhead |4|. This is accomplished by shifting handle |31 to the positionshown in Fig. l5, or approximately to this position. The first eifect isto connect conduit |33 with conduit |38 for supplying air below thepiston head IM. When there is no load on the drill this may be enough toraise the drill, but ordinarily there will be no such movement until thevalve v| 36 is turned :far enough to connect conduit |39 with vent |40.Again, the movement of the piston head |4| will be controlled by therate of escape of air from the space above the piston head Il, this inturn being controllable by the exact manipulation-of thehandle |31 or bya separate valve with a set adjustment.

It is desirable that both the cylinder 48| and the cylinder IUI be ofthe cushion type, the air conduits being arranged to open into thecylinder slightly spaced from the end thereof so as to be closed by ythepiston head, leaving cushioning pockets at the intermediate ends of thecylinders.

Auxiliary cylinder control The piston |92 of the auxiliary cylinder |0|is normally in the position shown, air being supplied to both ends ofthe cylinder through the conduits and |52. -Both gravity and the factthat .the upper face of the pistonl head |53 is larger than the lowerface cooperate to keep the piston in this position. Air is supplied toconduit |5| through valve|54 connecting with conduit`l34, and from thesame conduit to conduit |52 by valve |56. In order to raise the piston|02 it is merely necessary to shift valve |54 about 90', so that theconduit 15| is connected with vent |51 instead of with supply conduit34. Of course, the resultant raising force applied to piston |92 can becontrolled by the amount of air that is exhausted from above the pistonby the valve |54.

As previously mentioned, the raising of the piston |92 will have noeifect unless sprocket 96 is restrained from rotation by actuating brakecam lever |3. This is actuated by supplying the air to diaphragm typeactuator IH. The air is supplied to this actuator by Valve |58, whichconnects actuator conduit |59 with conduit |6i, normally connectedthrough open valve. |62 with supply conduit |34. The valves |54 and |58lare preferably jointly operated, as indicated by the joint handle |63..The valve |58 may be arranged to connect actuator with the supplyslightly before conduit |5| is connected with vent |51', so that thebrake drinn |09 will be clamped by the brake therein before the piston|92 starts vto move. Thus it is seen that lowering the handle |63 willfirst supply the air to actuator and will then permit the air to be bledasgradually as may vbe desired from cylinder |9| above the piston head|53 to feed the auger as it drills, orto boost the feeding force appliedbycylinder 8|. It is highly desirable to feed the auger 5| by ventingair from one side of the piston while the other is under pressure,because this gives a smoother action and more delicate contro1 thansupplying air to one side while the other is left open to theatmosphere. It will be observed that cylinder 8| also is operated by acontrolled when it proves inadequate and control ispassed over tocylinder 19|, Y y

Upon raising the handle |63 air will vbe exhausted from actuator I byconnecting conduit |59 with conduit |65, which is normally connectedwith vent |66 by valve |61. Either simultaneously or thereafter air willbe suppliedby valve |54 from conduit |34 to conduit 15| to the spaceabove the piston head |53, thus returning the piston to the positionshown, the actuator l being collapsed so that the brake drum `|69 is nolonger held and the sprocket 96 may rotate freely as the piston |32 isdropped. Y

Although the cylinder 8| will be adequate for raising the auger undermost circumstances, there will be some circumstances when it is loadedmore heavily than usual, or when rocks or the like seem g to wedge it inplace so that the cylinder 8|' is unable to move it. Under thesecircumstances it may be desirable to apply a boosting force with thecylinder |U|. According to the present invention'this can beaccomplished.

In Fig. 15 the valve |62 is provided to enable the operator to raise thepiston |53, while the sprocket 96 is still free to rotate. Thus,byclosing valve |62 and shifting handle |63 to its lower position, airwill be released from above piston head |53 without supplying air toactuator l I, this supply being shut off, by valve |62. After the piston|62 has been raised, a handle |69 is raised, shifting valves |56 and|61. The valve |51 is ,preferably arranged yto be effective, rst, toconnect conduit to supplyconduit |311, and at this same time handle |63is released, thus supplying air to the actuator ||3 to lock' sprocket96, and then supplying air above the piston head |53. Then the valve |56becomes effective upon the further movement of handle |69 to release airfrom below piston head |53 so that the air above the piston head appliesa boosting force tothe chain 12 in a direction to aid in raising theauger 5|. It will not ordinarily be necessary to boost the auger asecond time, for once it is started the piston 8| will usually besufcient. If a second boost is necessary, however, it is merelynecessary to release handle |69 and pull handle |63 down again 'to startthe process over. When no more boosting is necessary the valve |62 isopened and the parts are thus restored to the'normal position so thatpulling handle |63 down will again operate to supply feeding pressure tothe auger.

Alternative booster corLtrol Fig. 16 shows an alternative method ofcontrolling auxiliary cylinder y||l|y it beingfunderstood that cylinder8| is controlled in the same manner as in Fig. 15. According to theconstruction of Fig. 16, air is normally supplied to-both the top and:bottom of cylinder ||l| by conduits |1| connected to valve |12, andconduit |13 connected to valve |15. Valve |12 is normally in theposition shown in Fig. 16, and connects con.. duit |1| with conduit |16,which is connected through valve |11 with supply conduit |33. Valve |11also normally connects actuator to vent 118, the connection beingthrough conduit |19 and venting except,

1 valve |11, conduit |8|, to conduit |83 and through valve |14 to thevent.

With this construction the single valve |11 controls the operation ofboth actuator and cylinder ||l| by drawing the handle |84 downwardly.The rst effect is to disconnect conduit |34 from conduit |16 and connectit to conduit |19 for supplying air to actuator With a slight additionalmovement of handle |84 conduit |16 is connected to conduit |8| which isstill connected to vent |18, so that air from above the piston head |53is exhausted through the vent |18, allowing the air pressure belowpiston head |53 to raise the piston and apply a controlled yfeedingforce to the auger, the sprocket 96 now being locked by the actuation ofbrake lever I3 through the diaphragm of actuator Releasing the handle|84 allows spring |86 to raise handle |84. This rst connects actuatorwith vent |18, and then connects the upper end of cylinder |9| withsupply conduit |34, thus returning the parts to their normal position.

1n order to convert the system for boosting cylinder 8| in raising theauger, it is merely necessary to shift handle |81 of valve 12 upwardlyabout 90. This connects conduit |1| with conduit |83 which is connectedthrough valve |14 with vent |18. The air above piston |53 thus beingexhausted and conduit |13 still being connected with conduit |34, thepiston |53 is raised. During this traverse of piston |53 sprocket 96 isfree to rotate, since actuator is still connected through the valve |84and valve |14 with the vent |18. To apply the boosting force for raisingthe auger it is now merely necessary to raise handle |88 of valve |14.This will first connect supply conduit |34 with conduit |B3, thussupplying air simultaneously to actuator'l I I and the upper end ofcylinder Although therewill be a dierential pressure on piston |53,tending to move it downwardly at once, it probably will not havesufficient force to move the piston |53 materially before the actuatoroperates to lock sprocket 96. As a matter of fact, the actuator willprobably operate before the full pressure is built up in cylinder |9|above the piston |153. If necessary to this end, the conduits to theactuator may be designed to carry the air more quickly than the conduitto cylinder |0|.

Upon slightly further upward movement of handle |88, conduit |13 will beconnected to vent |18, thus 'exhausting air from below piston |53, whichhas previously been raised, as described. The speed at which the air isexhausted will determine the boosting force applied through piston head|53 through the locked sprocket 96, to the chain 12, to aid cylinder 8|in raising the auger. Upon release of handle |88 the valve |14 willlirst connect actuator with the vent |18 to release the sproket 96, andalso connect the upper end of cylinder |0| with the vent |18, so thatthere will be no air pressure on either side of piston |53-` Almostimmediately the valve |14, being drawn down by spring |89, will connectsupply conduit |34A with the lower end of cylinder Vlill, thus raisingthe piston |53 so that by merely raising the handle |88 again the augermay be given another upward boost.

With this arrangement it is seen that normally all of the feedingoperation of cylinder I0! is controlled by the single valve |14. Whendesired to boost the auger upwardly it is merely necessary, rst, toshift the valve |12, which is in the nature of a selector valve, andthereafter the system is adapted for boosting as frequently as may bedesired'by merely operating the handle |88 upwardly for each'boost untilthe auger has been fully raised so that no more boosting is necessary.The handle |81 may be shifted back to the position shown, whereupon airis supplied above the piston |53 and the differential of pressure on thetwo faces of the piston, plus gravity, will cause the piston to returnto the position shown, sprocket 96 being free to turn by virtue of thefact that the actuator is connected to the vent |18.

It will be understood that the cylinder I0| may also be used forboosting when the cylinder 8| proves inadequate for the operation of thewinch.

In this instance repeated boosting is quite` likely to be desirable.Under some conditions, in fact, it is possible that use of the boostingcylinder |0| for feeding will rarely be necessary while its use forboosting in the opposite direction will be desired quite often. Underthese conditions the handle |81 of the selector valve |12 may be left inthe upper position so that the equipment will be all ready for aboosting in the lifting direction.

It should be observed that in the Fig. 16 structure, as in Fig, l5, theuseful movements of the piston are always controlled by venting air. Thesmoothness of the resulting control results from the fact that anytendency of the piston to jump when the load is released is checked bythe pressure of air which has not yet been released.

This application is a continuation of applicants copending application,Serial No. 410,623, led September 12, 1941, for which the presentapplication may later be substituted.

I claim as my invention:

l. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill spindle, -means forrotating the drill spindle, and means for moving the drill spindlelongitudinally including a chain forming an endless loop, a sprocketrotatably mounted and driving the chain by its rotation, a pinion rigidwith the sprocket and of smaller diameter, a rack driving the pinion andthrough it driving the spindle a distance greater than the movement ofthe rack, a fluidoperated expansion cylinder for moving the rack in adirection to raise the spindle, a second cylinder, and means forconnecting the second cylinder to the chain to drive the spindledownwardly with a movement slower compared to cylinder movement than itsupward movement.

2. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill spindle, means forrotating the drill spindle, and means for moving the drill spindlelongitudinally including a chain forming an endless loop, a sprocketrotatably mounted and driving the chain by its rotation, a pinion rigidwith the sprocket and of smaller diameter, a rack driving the pinion andthrough it driving the spindle a distance greater than the movement ofthe rack, a fluidoperated expansion cylinder for moving the rack in adirection to raise the spindle, a second cylinder, means for connectingthe second cylinder to the chain to drive the spindle downwardly with amovement slower compared to cylinder movement than its upward movement,and means for controlling each cylinder by controllably venting air fromone side of the piston therein while the other side is under pressure.

3. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill spindle, means forrotating the drill spindle, and ymeans for moving the drill spindlelongitudinally including a chain forming an endless loop, a sprocketrotatably mounted and driving the chain by its rotation, a pinion rigidwith the sprocket inder, and means for connecting the second cylinder tothe chain to drive the spindle downwardly with a movement slowercompared to cylinder movement than its upward movement comn prising asecond sprocket constantly in mesh with the chain but normally rotatablyidle, and means for locking the sprocket and shifting it by operation ofthe second cylinder.

4. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill spindle, lmeans forrotating the drill spindle, and

means for moving the drill spindle longitudinally including a chainforming an endless loop, a first expansion cylinder and means to raisethe spindle thereby, a second cylinder, and means for connecting thesecond cylinder to the chain to drive the spindle downwardly with amovement slower compared to second cylinder movement than the speed ofits upward movement compared to the movement of the first cylinder.

5. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill spindle, means forrotating the drill spindle, and means for moving the drill spindlelongitudinally including a chain forming an endless loop, a rstexpansion cylinder and means to raise the spindle thereby, necting thesecond cylinder to the chain to drive the spindle downwardly with amovement slower compared to second cylinder movement than the vspeed ofits upward movement compared to the movement of the rst cylindercomprising a o sprocket constantly in mesh with the chain but a secondcylinder, and means for cone normally rotatable idly, and means forlocking the sprocket and shifting it by operation of the secondcylinder.

6. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill member, a chain associatedwith the drill member for moving it, and means for driving the chainincluding a shiftable carriage, a sprocket engaging the chain rotatablycarried by the carriage and at times free to rotate, means for lockingthe sprocket with respect to the carriage, fluid-controlled means forlocking the sprocket, fluid-oontrolled means for moving the carriage,while the sprocket is locked against rotation, and valve means forcontrolling the uid and operative upon a single stroke iirst to actuatethe locking means and then to actuate the shifting means.

7. Earth drilling apparatus including a drill member, a chain associatedwith the drill member for moving it, and means for driving the chainincluding a shiftable carriage, a sprocket engaging the chain rotatablycarried by the carriage and at times free to rotate, means for lockingthe sprocket with respect to the carriage, fluid-controlled means forlocking the sprocket, fluid-controlled means for moving the carriage,while the sprocket is locked against rotation, said valve meansoperative upon a return stroke rst to release the locking means and thento shift the carriage back, and additional valve means operative toproduce locking of the sprocket for the return movement only of thecarriage moving means.

8. Earth drilling apparatus including a frame,

a drill member carried by the frame for axial l movement with respect tothe frame, a chain connected with the drill member for moving it, andmeans for driving the chain including a feed head translatable withrespect to the frame, a sprocket engaging the chain rotatably carried bythe feed head, means for selectively locking the sprocket and releasingit for rotation with respect to the feed head, and means for translatingthe leed head, while the sprocket is locked against rotation, to actuatethe chain and the drill member, and additional means for moving thedrill member while the sprocket is free to rotate.

9. An earth drill including a frame, a drill spindle carried by theframe for movement with respect to the frame longitudinally of thespindle, means for moving the spindle longitudinally through its fullwithdrawal stroke including a piston-type expansion motor having ashorter stroke, and means for movement connecting the motor with thespindle to move it a full stroke with one stroke of the motor, and meansfor moving the spindle less than its full stroke comprising an auxiliarypiston-type expansion motor and means for selectively connecting it tothe spindle to apply substantially the full force of the auxiliary motortoward moving the spindle through a short stroke in the feedingdirection.

10. An earth drill including a frame, a drill spindle carried by theframe for movement with respect to the frame longitudinally of thespindle, means for moving the spindle longitudinally through its fullwithdrawal stroke including a chain connected with the spindle, apiston-type expansion motor having a shorter stroke, and

,- means for multiplying the range of movement connecting the motor withthe spindle to move it a full stroke with one stroke of the motor, andmeans for moving the spindle less than its full stroke comp-rising anauxiliary piston-type eX- pansion motor and means for selectivelyconnecting it to the spindle to apply substantially the full force ofthe auxiliary motor toward moving the spindle through a short stroke inthe feeding direction including a sprocket constantly in mesh withthechain but normally rotatable idly and means including the auxiliarymotor for locking the sprocket and shifting it longitudinally of thespindle.

HUGH S. BROWN.

multiplying the range of4

